Devotional by Rory Larsen

John 21:15-17 is a very familiar passage of scripture, but it has a much deeper meaning than most people realize.  This is the 3rd time Jesus is seen revealing Himself to His disciples after his resurrection and it is a dialog that is a continuation of a previous conversation they had in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus had a conversation with His disciples but predominately with Peter about His crucifixion whereby Jesus tells Peter that he would deny Him three times.  This passage of scripture is a continuation of that conversation.  

If you recall Peter was very adamant and self-confident to the point of exhibiting hubris.  He told Jesus that he would follow him to the ends of the earth, even if it cost him his very life.  Jesus responded to him with a prophetic prediction to Peter that he would deny his association with Jesus this very night 3-times before the rooster crowed.  That evening Peter lived up to his commitment when they came to take Jesus away, Peter hauled out his sword and began to defend Jesus and I’m sure he would have fought to the death.  However, once Jesus stepped in and explained to everyone that He wasn’t going to allow a physical altercation and that He planned to submit willingly to being captured and taken away.  It was at this moment that Peter collapsed inside with confusion and at this point wasn’t sure how to respond any longer.  If he couldn’t exert his “man” strength and fight physically and exert his personal strength and power to defend Jesus, he was confused and he was incapable of understanding at this moment what to do, and so he followed along from a distance as they hauled Jesus away to be beaten and crucified.  It is from this time that Peter goes on his confused journey of following Jesus from a distance until he has his now famous thrice denial.

So now fast-forward to this moment in time where Jesus has been resurrected, and Peter is walking in a guilt-ridden state for his failure of denying Jesus three times, just as Jesus had predicted.  It was at this point, that I believe all the disciples felt this same way but especially Peter.  They knew that Jesus was resurrected but the disciples and Peter were at a point that they believed that Jesus was probably through with them because of their failures.

Here is where the previous conversation picks back up from when Jesus predicted Peter’s denial of Him.

Intertwined within the original language is a nuanced conversation that most people miss by reading this passage of scripture at face value from any English translation.  When this passage of scripture is interpreted from ancient Greek to English, we use the same word “love” but there are two different Greek words being used in this passage, “Agape” and “Philéo”.

Definitions:

Agape – Is Unconditional, you love someone despite their flaws, bad days, or reciprocity…It is a love not based on merit or what you think someone can do for you.  It is a love that is extended when there’s nothing for you to gain and you choose to love them genuinely anyway.

Phileo – Is Conditional, this is the love of a friend.  This kind of love is expressed in many ways; here are some examples. “Sympathetic Love”, you love them because they love you.  Or “Admiration Love”, you love them because they’re a good person.  Or “Material Love”, you love them for their money.  Or “Attraction Love”, you love them because of how they look.  Or “Eros Love”, you love them because of passion or sexual desire.

“So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (agape) Me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love (phileo) you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’

He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (Agape) Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love (Phileo) You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.”

He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (Phileo) Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love (Phileo) you.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.”

(John 21:15-17 NKJV)

Those two Greek words have two very different meanings and so a cursory reading of this text doesn’t tell the whole story.  This conversation continuance has everything to do with a nuanced conversation that Jesus was having with Peter to both restore him and it is probably much less about what Jesus was saying to Peter and even more important was Peter’s response to Jesus.  If you can put yourself in Peter’s shoes for a moment.  He had just failed the magnanimous failure of his life as a follower of Jesus and at this moment he is in a very humble state and not the same overconfident person he was exhibiting before they took Jesus to crucify Him.  

Here Jesus asks him, “Peter, do you (agape) me, do you love me with unconditional love?” Peter response was a deep realization that it is impossible for him to love anyone, let alone Christ with Unconditional love, only God can do that and so he states this very emphatically by saying.  “I have come to the realization that it is impossible for me to Agape you Lord, but I do Philéo you, I conditionally love you and I have proven that in my failure.  I realize that I cannot love you unconditionally, it is not within me to be able to do”.  

Then the second question comes from Jesus, “Peter, do you (agape) me?” This time I think Peter begins to reminisce and he reiterates the lessons learned not only in the garden of gethsemane but also his triple denial of Jesus and he says again.  “Lord, I Philéo you.  I’ve learned that I am not God and my will needs to surrender to you and I am incapable of loving you with unconditional love, but I do love you as my friend.”

Finally, here is the final question.  Jesus says, “Peter, do you Philéo Me?”  It’s at this point that Peter realizes that he not only is incapable of loving with Agape but even Philéo is something he is incapable of without the infused ability of Jesus, and Peter humbly recognizes his need for Christ. Even in this and he says, “Lord, you know all things.  I do Philéo you, but I recognize that even this comes from You.  I have no abilities within myself that haven’t been given to me by You and even in this, I have come to the epiphany that I need your empowerment to love you in any way”.

I believe this was a nuanced continuation of the previous conversation that occurred prior to Jesus’ crucifixion about Peter’s failure, and both Jesus and Peter were coming into further agreement that only Jesus knows what we are capable of and He alone gifts our abilities to follow him and even love him with not only agape love but even Philéo love.  Without Him we are incapable!  With this acknowledgment and revelation, Jesus restores Peter into His full graces and at this moment qualifies him to feed His entire flock.